Rosco Purvis Coltrane is a fictional sheriff character who appeared in the 1975 film Moonrunners, which inspired the creation of the American TV series The Dukes of Hazzard (and related spin-off films).
In Moonrunners, he was played by Bruce Atkins. The role of Rosco in the television series (and a much more detailed character than the one in Moonrunners) is the right-hand man of Hazzard County's corrupt county commissioner, Jefferson Davis "J.D." Hogg ("Boss Hogg"); he was played by James Best, who had appeared in many films and TV series before landing the role. He appeared in all but five episodes. He was accompanied on the show by his character's pet/police dog (beginning in season 3), a basset hound named Flash.
Rosco's name is sometimes spelled with an E, which is incorrect; James Best corrected this popular misconception on his website. As in Moonrunners from which The Dukes of Hazzard TV series evolved, in the first season the character's name is given as "Rosco Coltrane". The initial "P." was added from the start of the second season, after Best convinced show producers that it gave him more to play with vocally when pronouncing it. The "P." stands for Purvis.
Rosco in The Dukes of Hazzard
Early episodes
In early episodes, the character of Rosco was a serious one. He was depicted as a hard-nosed, focused, and aggressive sheriff, and actually shot a criminal (not fatally) in an early episode ("Mary Kaye's Baby", the third episode broadcast). He was a willing accomplice to Boss Hogg's schemes, and also appeared to have the ingenuity to arrange such schemes himself (in the pilot episode, "One Armed Bandits", for example, he seems to be the key organizer behind the illegal importation of slot machines into the county). The "One Armed Bandits" episode also explained that Rosco had served Hazzard County for 20 years as "a fairly honest lawman" but became embittered after his pension was wiped out following a failed bond referendum, and with just a few months left in office he was forced to run for re-election instead of retiring. This notion was explored again in a couple of other early episodes, most notably a scene where Deputy Enos asks him why he became so corrupt, in the fourth broadcast episode, "Repo Men". When series creator Gy Waldron realized that the series had become very popular with young children, the character was toned down to the more comedic and more bumbling persona for which he is best known, a characterization that Best himself largely created. He never wanted children viewing to feel afraid to approach a police officer when in need.
General information
Rosco frequently initiates car chases with Bo and Luke Duke (Hogg's most frequent adversaries), but the Duke boys are usually able to elude Rosco, who frequently wrecks his patrol car in various ways, especially when Uncle Jesse Duke sideswipes or rear ends Rosco’s patrol car with his pick up truck.
Starting with the third season (1980–1981), Rosco got a pet dog—a lazy basset hound he calls "Flash" and nicknames "Velvet Ears" which he dotes on. Flash liked the Dukes but always barked at Boss Hogg. Early on, the dog's gender was male, but this would change in later episodes.
Boss Hogg and Rosco are brothers-in-law because Rosco's older sister, Lulu, is married to Boss Hogg.